Teenage rower Oliver Crane today smashed a world record and celebrated with a fiery finish as he became the youngest person ever to row across the Atlantic single-handed. Oliver, who is just 19, lit red flares and stood on the hull of his boat in triumph as he crossed the line in Antigua early this morning.

He capsized six times as he battled his way across the ocean in 44 days while taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge on board his craft Team Homeward Bound.

Crowds waited on the quayside at English Harbour to watch him finish in triumph. His total finishing time was 44 days, 16 hours and nine minutes for the voyage from the Canary Islands.

He spent Christmas and New Year at sea, but was determined to be home in time to watch his beloved Philadelphia Eagles play in next weekend's American Football Superbowl.

Oliver prepared for his incredible journey in Brixham, where he set up base and trained for the challenge. While there he was 'adopted' by staff at the marina and by the local RNLI lifeboat crew, who were among the first to congratulate him today.

Hailing from New Jersey in the US, Oliver came over to Devon last August to check out and buy the 23ft custom-built boat for the challenge.

Brixham Marina manager Andrew Millar said he was happy to offer Oliver a free berth. He said: “When I was his age, I was going to nightclubs and bars. What he’s trying to do is remarkable and inspiring. I think he’s potty but incredibly brave.

Oliver Crane celebrates in Antigua (Image: Ted Martin)

“He has become part of the team here. He comes and goes at all hours and all the staff know him and wish him well."

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Before he set off for the challenge Oliver told DevonLive: “I have rowed for my high school crew team at the Peddie School for the last four years. I used to play ice hockey and soccer but got five concussions so couldn’t do contact sports any more. I tried rowing and fell in love with it.

“I have enjoyed scuba diving since I was 10 and have seen first-hand the devastation that climate change, over-fishing and garbage pollution have already wreaked on the ocean. It was a dream come true to go to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia but the part I saw was a let-down. There was horrific damage. It ignited my passion for ocean conservation.

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“I thought this challenge was a good way to combine the two, so I’m raising money for Oceana, the largest charity in the world focused solely on ocean conservation. It works with governments to pass laws that protect ocean environments and sustainable fisheries.”

Oliver Crane crosses the finishing line (Image: Ted Martin)

Oliver found out about the annual Atlantic event after looking online for difficult challenges. “It’s a tradition in my family to take on a project before university,” said Oliver, who will be going to Princeton University to study politics. He has four siblings – three older and one younger – and their achievements include climbing Mount Everest, cycling across Africa and hiking from Mexico to Canada.

He said he was ‘excited but really nervous’ about the Atlantic Challenge – and said he had a tendency to get seasick.

The two-year-old boat was custom-built for ocean rowing. It has a solar-powered water-maker and is designed to right itself if it capsizes. It doesn’t have a toilet, and Oliver had to use a bucket. The boat completed the Atlantic crossing last year with a pair of rowers from Devon.

He nbow plans to to take it to schools and yacht clubs in the US and talk about the challenge and ocean conservation.

He told us in October: “It’s making me sad knowing I don’t have much more time here in Brixham. It’s beautiful. I’ll miss it. I don’t live near the sea. I live in the suburbs outside New York, where there’s a lot of people and not much nature. It has been a welcome change in Devon. After the race I’ll come back and have a reunion with the people who have helped me train here.”